Heart of Gold
by Ai-White-Rabbit
Summary: Prince Zuko meets a peasant girl named Maeli, and realizes that he can find friendship in the most different of people. A lesson he shall learn, will teach him to open his heart and trust others. A tale of love, a tale to two golden hearts. ZukoxOC
1. A Lost Lamb Meets A Prince

**Heart of Gold**

**Disclaimer: I do not own any of the _Avatar_ characters except for Maeli. Thank you.**

**Summary: This is going to be a long story. Some parts will take place during actual episodes of the show. A story of true love, that's what this is about. Not a love fueled by lust, but by loving someone for who they are on the inside. Two different people from different places who come together and soon realize the strong bond between them. Its hard to find golden hearts, but they are out there. Just open your eyes.**

**Who says a prince can't love a peasant?**

**Chapter 1: A Lost Lamb Meets A Prince**

The air was cool that night, as rain clouds gathered overhead. The moon was full and gave off a comforting light for the midnight creatures. The only sounds that could be heard were those of chirping crickets and rustling footsteps in the grass. A hooded figure wandered the land. A rumble of thunder in the distance signaled that the storm was getting closer. The hooded figure looked up to the sky. A raindrop fell onto the person's nose. Rain steadily began to fall and then grow heavy. The hooded person began to walk at a hurried pace to find shelter, but there seemed to be nothing around. Then, the silhouette of a ship came into sight. The hooded person ran towards it. Luckily, the ship was settled on shore and the bridge was lowered; therefore, easy to enter.

The mysterious person approached with caution. There seemed to be no one in sight, so the person snuck on board. Male voices echoed through the hall. The hooded figure made its way across the room, but knocked over a candle post in the process. "What was that?" said a man. The figure scurried into a dark corner. "I'll go check it out," said another man. Footsteps came echoing in the direction of the stowaway. "Looks like this candle was knocked over," the guard took a moment to look around, "Hey, you in that corner!" The hooded person jumped up and ran down the hall. "Stop him!" shouted the first guard. The second guard unleashed a fiery blow at his target; the person barely evaded it. "What're you doing? Stop him!" the first guard shouted. The other guard shot another fireball and it burned part of the stowaway's cloak. The person screamed in fright. "Did he just scream like a girl?" said the second guard.

A young man with a scar on his left eye came out from his cabin shouting, "What's going on out here?" The hooded figure bumped into him and was knocked onto the floor. "Who is this?" the young man asked in an angered voice as he pointed to the person in question.

"We don't know, Your Highness, but he snuck on here."

The mysterious person rose to his feet and tried to escape, but the prince caught him by his arm, "You're not going anywhere!" he yelled. The prince pulled back the hood and came face to face with, "A girl?" The girl gasped when she saw the young man before her and turned to run, but the two guards blocked her path. The prince grabbed the girl's arm again and asked, "How did you get in here?" The girl was shaken, but kept her voice calm, "Y-your bridge was open and it's raining outside. I just wanted a place to stay."

"Are you a spy? Do you know who we are?" The prince's golden eyes pierced through the girl's soul; those eyes were so deadly, yet beautiful. "N-no. But, you're Fire Nation, right? Zuko, is it?"

"You will address me as _Prince_ Zuko!" he released the girl's arm. "You get off of my ship and don't come back."

"Now, wait just a minute!" came an elder man's voice. "Zuko, don't you have any manners? She's a guest, treat her with respect."

"She's not a guest, she's a stowaway. She could be working for someone!"

"Nonsense! Now, let's get you dried off before you catch a cold."

"Uncle!" Prince Zuko yelled. The uncle paid no attention to him and led the girl to his room. Zuko faced the guards and said, "What're you waiting for? Close the bridge!"

"Yes sir!" the guards replied nervously.

"So, what is your name?" asked Iroh as he searched in the drawers. "Maeli, sir," the girl replied, glancing around the crimson-tinted room. "Ah, here we go!" the man handed her a towel, "I am General Iroh, but you may call me Uncle if you like."

"Thank you."

"You, girl," came Zuko's voice from the doorway. "Yes?" Maeli replied.

"You'd better not cause any trouble, got it?"

"Yes, sir, I won't," Maeli bowed.

Zuko turned on his heel and headed for the door. "Maeli!" the girl called after him. Zuko glanced back. "That's my name; Maeli." The prince left without a word. Maeli felt a bit foolish; like the great Fire Nation Prince would actually want to know what her name was. "Don't mind him," sighed Iroh, "He's always like that. In any case, there's an empty room right next door. We use it for storage but there is a bed in there. Make yourself comfortable." Maeli smiled and bowed before him, "Thank you!"

"Here, let me show you the way," Iroh led Maeli to the room he mention and lit the candles inside. Boxes were stacked along the walls and a thin layer of dust lay on objects. Iroh helped move some of the boxes and put sheets on the bed, along with a pillow. Maeli dusted off a small table in the corner and placed her cloak on it. The outfit she wore underneath was dirty and a bit ripped up. It was a green dress with long white sleeves and Earth Nation design. She untied the bun in her hair and began to dry herself; the cloak didn't do well to keep her hair from getting wet.

"Maeli, would you like some tea?" offered Iroh.

"Sure!" Maeli removed her wet shoes and sat on the bed to dry her feet. _"I wonder if I made the right decision in coming here"_, she thought.

A few moments later, Iroh returned to the room with a teakettle and two cups in hand. Maeli pulled up the table and removed her cloak from it. Iroh sat the items down on the table and served the tea. "So, where did you come from?" he asked as he sat on his stool. "Earth Kingdom, I lived in a village called Nyu-jong," she slowly sipped the hot tea. "I've been traveling for some time."

"Where are you headed?"

"I don't know. After my father and big brother joined the war, I was on my own. I decided to travel to another Earth Kingdom village, where my aunt lived, but I guess I got lost."

"Its dangerous to travel alone, especially if you're a girl." He sipped his tea. "By the way, how old are you?"

"Sixteen."

"Really? That's interesting; you look at least thirteen! I wish I could have such youth!"

Maeli giggled. Iroh rose to his feet and scratched his belly, "Well, I won't question you any further; you need your rest. We can continue our conversation in the morning. Oh, and drink as much tea as you like, I'll retrieve the dishes tomorrow."

"Okay!"

"Good night!" Iroh waved. "'Night!" Maeli returned with a smile.

Maeli sat drinking her tea while trying to think of where she would go tomorrow; however, she didn't want to leave. She'd rather stay and learn more about these people. She heard that the Fire Nation was ruthless, but didn't entirely agree with that. General Iroh's hospitality confirmed Maeli's disagreement. The warm, soothing tea began to take effect and made Maeli sleepy.

Sometime during the middle of the night, Maeli awoke from her slumber. She sat up and felt something churn below her waist. _"Bathroom"_ was the only word that entered her mind. All that tea finally took a toll on her. Maeli opened the steel door and her heart leapt when it made a loud screech. She peeked out the door and saw small candle-lit fires burning along the walls of the hall. Where was the bathroom? She did not know, and she was too shy to wake Iroh. _"Can't be too far"_, she thought.

She tiptoed down one end of the hall, hoping not to disturb anyone. Suddenly, someone caught her by her shoulder and said, "Where did you come from?" It was another guard, but a different one. "Uh, um, the General let me – ah!" She twitched when the guard began running his fingers through her long hair. "A little mouse like you shouldn't be wandering alone in the dark." His voice changed into a looming tone, "You could get hurt." He grabbed her wrist and pulled her closer. Maeli gasped and felt her legs shaking.

"What're you doing?" came Zuko's demanding voice. The guard immediately released Maeli and faced the prince. "Your Highness, this girl is-"

"Is under my protection," Zuko ensured as he stepped closer. "If anyone is to harm her while she's on this ship, they will have to answer to me." The guard was taken aback. "Y-yes sir," he said with a bow and left. Once Zuko laid his eyes on Maeli, she immediately bowed her head.

"What are you doing out here?"

"I was searching for the bathroom", Maeli replied. Zuko approached her and said in a calm, yet demanding voice, "Raise your head." Maeli did as she was told but was too shy to look into the prince's eyes. She tried to straighten her brown hair to have a decent appearance before him. Zuko spoke again, "Earlier, you called me by my name before I told you who I was. How did you know my identity?"

"I heard about you in my village, and recognized you by your scar and your eyes."

There was a brief silence.

"The bathroom is over there," Zuko pointed out. "Oh, thank you, Prince Zuko," she bowed her head. Zuko left in silence. He returned to his cabin to continue going over the map of the Four Nations. He knew the Avatar was somewhere nearby. This time, he would be sure to catch him.

The next morning, Maeli had forgotten where she was and was startled to find herself in a strange room. But, she then remembered that Iroh took her in. She smiled at the thought of him. Then she remembered how Zuko got that guard away from her. _"I have to thank him!"_ She brushed her hair and went to see if Iroh was awake first. Before she even knocked on his door, she heard Iroh snoring loudly and decided not to bother him. Feeling curious, Maeli began exploring the ship; it was her first time on one. She made her way towards the deck and heard blasts coming from the top. She climbed her way up and found Zuko sparring with a training partner. She stood there in amazement. She sighed dreamily as she watched the red flames dance around the two men. Zuko's movements were fierce, yet had a certain grace to them. Every breath built up his chi and unleashed bright flames from his fists. Zuko's brilliant roundhouse kick looked as if he was dancing with a fire dragon. "He's amazing!" Maeli whispered breathlessly.

When Zuko and his partner stopped practicing, Maeli subconsciously applauded. They were surprised to find someone watching them. Maeli ceased her applause. They didn't say anything. Zuko's partner bowed to him and took his leave. Zuko sat at a table and drank a glass of water. Maeli slowly approached with her hands held behind her back, "Uh- good morning, Your Highness. You were really amazing! You're a great firebender!" "Thanks", the prince replied plainly. A little smile stretched across Maeli's face, "Oh, and I wanted to thank you for last night. The way that guard tried to…come on to me…"

"Don't worry about it. Fetch me more water." Maeli blinked, "Okay. Would you like ice?"

"Yes."

Maeli started for the exit but stopped abruptly and faced Zuko again, "Um, where do I get it?"

"The galley. Its straight down the hall." The girl nodded and left.

Maeli could hear some of the guards talking about her as she made her way to the galley. "Why did they let her on here? She's from the Earth Kingdom!"

"I don't understand either."

"Zuko's just going to scare her off; he can scare anyone with a face like that."

"Yeah, ol' Pony-Tail!" The men chuckled; Maeli simply rolled her eyes.

"_Where could he be? I'm sick of this game of his!"_ Zuko was wracking his brain about his plans to capture the Avatar. _"I could've sworn I found him in this area, but I've seen nothing so far! Now this girl is going to be a nuisance. Then again, she could make a good servant."_

"Prince Zuko?" Maeli called. Zuko met the girl's eyes. "Here," she handed him the water. He gulped it down fairly quick. He slammed it on the table with a slight growl. Maeli stood awaiting a command. "Sir, is there anything else I can do for you?" Zuko raised his head and stared at her for a long time. His stare was hypnotizing, and for once, Maeli stared back into his golden eyes. His eyes told all; his soul was tormented and had a longing for something to bring his mind at ease. "Go," he finally replied. Maeli frowned slightly, "Will you be alright? You look stressed." "Just go," he answered. The girl hesitated for a moment then took off. The prince rubbed his forehead out of exhaustion.

Iroh caught Maeli walking in the hall. "Oh, Maeli, good morning! Did you sleep well?" he called.

"Yes. That tea helped me sleep."

Iroh smiled, "That's good to hear. Now, about you situation: I don't like the fact that you're traveling alone. I know we've just met, but I _do_ care about you. And as my duty as a parent, it is my responsibility to look after young people like yourself."

"What're you saying?"

"I am saying; how would you like to stay here? I know life at sea might not be so great, but I assure you, it is better than wandering on foot. And, if we come to a place that you'd like to live at, then we'll let you go. Besides, I think Zuko could use a little female company, especially someone his own age. He doesn't have any friends out here, so maybe you could cheer him up."

"Oh, but I don't think he likes me very much," said Maeli, scratching the back of her head.

"Yes, I know it may seem that way, but he's just going through some very hard times. Trust me, once you get to know him, you'll see what a kind person he is. He'll learn to like you, if he doesn't already," said Iroh with a chuckle.

Maeli smiled, "That's good to know. Ya' know, I don't care what other people say about you guys; not all people from the Fire Nation are bad. There's good and bad people everywhere, its not right to just proclaim one nation evil." Maeli sighed, "Some people are just so closed-minded."

"That is very wise! I can see that you were raised well."

"Thank you…I'm glad I met you and Prince Zuko; now I don't feel so alone."

"That's good – ", before Iroh could speak another word, Maeli ran up to him and embraced him. "Thank you so much for taking me in. I really appreciate your hospitality. Thank you…Uncle." Iroh hugged her back, "You're quite welcome." He patted her shoulder and said, "Now, would you join me for breakfast?" Maeli nodded happily and they walked to the galley.

Later, Zuko returned to his room, to find a plate of food sitting on his table; it was still warm. Maeli was busy in her room laying out the contents in her backpack. "Hmm, looks like I won't be needing some supplies for a while." A gold chain was sticking out from under a wrapped sandwich. She pulled it out and held it up. It was a gold, tarnished, heart shaped locket. There were no pictures on the inside, just the words: _"Learn To Love Others"_. Maeli smiled at the locket and thought of her grandmother.

A knock at the door snapped her back to reality. "Yes?" she called. The door creaked open and Zuko walked up to her holding a pair of Fire Nation clothes, "Wear this. If you're going to stay here, you have to blend in." Maeli bowed graciously after accepting the clothes, "Yes, sir. Thank you- " she looked into his eyes and then shamefully stared at his feet, "Your Highness."

"Don't fear me. I'm not going to hurt you," Zuko spoke bluntly.

Maeli raised her head, "Prince?"

"You're always afraid to look at me. Am I that repulsive?" He raised his eyebrow with a somewhat menacing stare.

Maeli's eyes grew wide, "Oh no! Not at all! I think you're quite handsome! Its just, you're royalty and I'm…some peasant girl."

Zuko smirked, "Well, you _are_ a peasant, but that doesn't mean you can't look at me, unless I say you can't."

Maeli's brown eyes glistened and she smiled widely, almost to the point of a giggle. Zuko turned his back to her and muttered, "Thanks for the food", but Maeli didn't catch it.

Maeli looked at the clothes she was given and said to herself, "This needs some modification." Iroh had lent her a sowing kit and she turned her outfit into a more girly fashion. It was a short-sleeved shirt with a pair of pants underneath a mini skirt. Zuko was puzzled when he saw her walking in the hall. He thought to himself, _"That's not what I gave her!"_ "Zuko!" Iroh called, "So, how do you feel about Maeli staying here?"

"Its fine, I guess."

"Isn't she a doll? I think she looks nice in her new uniform!"

Zuko sighed heavily, "I'm going to practice some more."

Iroh simply smiled after him. On his way back to his room, he saw Maeli's things laid out on the floor. The locket caught his eye; he grinned deviously when he read the inscription.

Later that day, when Zuko finished training, he retired to his room. On his pillow, he found the heart-shaped locket. It was already opened and he read the words inside. Those words made him feel like he was missing something, something important in his life. He closed it and stuffed it under his pillow, _"Maybe this omen will be of good use"_.

**End of chapter 1**

**Hope ya'll are catching my little "read-between-the-lines" shots I'm throwin' in there; especially in Zuko's last words. LOL Oh, how fun! More soon! Reviews please!**


	2. The Two Hearts

**Note to readers: Maeli's name is pronounced (May-Lee). See? Simple as pie.**

**Chapter 2: The Two Hearts**

_Zuko – The Lonely Boy With A Broken Heart_

Zuko opened his eyes to find himself, yet again, trapped on his miserable ship. He was sure that this day would be another failure in catching the Avatar. Every time he tried to get his hands on something, it slips away. All his life he's lost precious things: his honor, his throne, his nation, and his parents' love. His father banished him and his mother left him. He was permanently marked with a scar that burned deep into his soul. His father, his own father, burned him and disowned him; that alone, tore Zuko's heart. After such a horrifying experience, he trusted no one. He proclaimed that he could live on his own, and didn't need any pity. But, he felt worthless; he didn't know his purpose in the life. Love. Love was something Zuko never knew. Sometimes he longed for this love, but feared that his heart would shatter once more. He had to close his heart; seal it forever, so no one could ever hurt him again. His greatest fear was heartbreak.

_Maeli – The Timid Girl With A Loving Heart_

Maeli woke up early that morning but was still too tired to get out of bed. She wishes she could see Prince Zuko and learn more about him. She could sense that something was troubling him. She wanted to comfort him, to love him. Her life has been filled with heartbreak as well. She never knew her mother not true love. The boyfriend she once had, betrayed her trust. Her father and older brother went to war and never returned. Losing these people all in one month cause her heart to close up. She stopped caring about her friends, family, and even herself. But the only one, who kept in contact with her, was her grandmother. Before Maeli left her village, her grandmother gave her a locket, with meaningful words, that would hopefully change her ways. Love. Love at first sight was common for Maeli. She felt that this was a weakness; caring for others so dearly could be used against her. Her greatest fear was losing people she loved.

Zuko was still half asleep when he woke up. He couldn't recall any dreams he might've had. There was a knock at his door. "Who's there?" he asked, his voice groggy. "It's me," Iroh answered. "Come in," he replied, raising his head up off the pillow. Iroh pushed the door opened and poked his head though, "Are you ready to set sail again?"

"Yeah, let's head southeast. Last time I checked, the Avatar was somewhere around Earth Kingdom villages."

"Alright," Iroh nodded and left. His voice echoed through the calls as he shouted the command to move on. Zuko stuffed his face in his pillow. _"Damn! I hate this; I hate everything! I'm sick of chasing him." _He gripped the edges of his pillow. _"I wish all of this would end."_ He slipped his hands under the pillow and felt the locket. "That thing…" he pulled it from under the pillow and read the words again: _"Learn to love others"_. He scowled at the wretched thing and tossed it on the floor. "I don't need love."

The ship creaked as it moved off shore. Maeli was leaving the bathroom when she wobbled a little. She went out on the deck to see the ship in motion. The sky was gray and gloomy; however, Maeli felt a sense of peace at the sight of the cloudy sky. A cool breeze blew her hair as she stood out on the open. The air was fresh and smelt of rain. There were neither birds nor any kind of animals in sight, just the choppy waters and the sky forever. Maeli only wished that her friends could be there with her. She felt guilty for pushing them away; but back then, she thought she was doing it for their own good, and hers. She sat Indian style on the ground and watched the scenery.

Footsteps echoed from behind her; she turned around, "Hey, Prince Zuko, where are we headed?"

"Southeast," the prince replied, gazing at the sea.

"So, why are you traveling at sea anyway?"

"I'm trying to find someone."

"Who?"

"…Don't worry about that."

Maeli was curious, but didn't question any further. "Oh! I just remembered; I have to pick up that stuff in my room. I was too tired to pick it up last night. Excuse me," she bowed. After saving the items from her bag, she realized that her locket was gone. Worried, she dashed over to Iroh to see if he knew where it was. He let out a hefty laugh, "I apologize; I put it in Zuko's room because I felt that he needed to see that message on the inside."

"How come?"

"Because he has never learned to love someone."

Maeli was speechless for a moment. "What? Are you serious?" she asked, breathlessly. Iroh nodded. "Maybe I can help him out. I've been through a heartless stage myself."

Iroh chuckled, "Good luck."

"Thanks!" Maeli found her locket lying on the floor. "There it is." She hooked it around her neck and returned to Zuko's side on the deck. "I'm back," she called. Zuko stared at the locket. Maeli glanced over at him and sniggered. "Are you staring at my neck, Prince Zuko?" The prince averted his eyes and was embarrassed that she caught him. "Hmph, are you _mad_?" he said in a snobbish voice. "As a hatter!" Maeli answered with another snigger. "You took that necklace out of my room. You went _into_ my room. I didn't give you permission to do so." Maeli shrugged, "Well, you had my necklace. It's very special to me. My grandma told me to listen to the words inscribed in it."

"Is it like a rule that you follow?"

"Yes, I suppose. I try to."

There was a sudden clap of thunder.

Maeli looked up at the sky, "Its going to rain _again_? Geez…Please excuse me, I'm going inside."

"Wait…Tell my uncle to meet me in the conference room."

"Yes, sir." Maeli sprinted down the hall, snatching a powdered donut from the passing cook's tray. "Uncle Iroh!" she called, pushing the door open. "Zuko wants to see you in the conference room. By the way, what do ya'll do for entertainment around here? I'm kinda bored."

Iroh looked up from some papers he was reading on his table, "Oh, well, we have music night, story night, Pai-Sho, and a couple of other things. We're having music night tonight if you'd like to join us."

"Sure!"

"Anyway, let's go see what Zuko wants," Iroh grunted as he rose to his feet.

In the conference room, Zuko and the lieutenant were going over a map. Iroh came in asking, "So, what's on the agenda?" He had a jolly tone, but knew it was probably going to be something about the Avatar again. "It's the Avatar, I know he's close but we need a plan for a surprise attack. I was thinking-" he heard a slight gasp and noticed Maeli standing in the doorway. "Wait, what're you doing in here?" Just as he was about to literally throw her out, Iroh stepped in the way. "I invited her to come," he interjected.

"She can't stay, this is a man's business!"

"Hold on, are you really after the Avatar? So, you really were banished from the Fire Nation?"

Zuko glared at the girl while the other men in the room all stared at her. At that point, Maeli knew she had said something wrong. She covered her mouth after realizing that she had offended Zuko, "Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't know it was actually true."

"Out…Get out!" Zuko shouted, pointing to the exit. A flame flickered across his pointing finger. The girl slowly walked away, feeling ashamed of her self. Iroh sighed once again because his nephew had lost his temper, "Zuko, please, you have to practice restraint around the girl. You need to learn to treat her nicely; she didn't know about your situation."

"Don't tell me what to do. All I know is that I need the Avatar, and if that girl causes any more trouble, I'm throwing her out."

"But you don't know for sure if the Avatar will be the answer to your problems. You have to find something better to do with your life."

"Nothing can make my life better but regaining my honor and returning home."

Iroh sighed heavily. He was tired of always arguing with his nephew. Nothing he said seemed to be sinking in.

After the meeting, Zuko retired to his dorm to meditate. Maeli was waiting for him to return from the conference so she could have a word with him. She wanted to get to the bottom of his whole situation. When the time arose, she nervously knocked on Zuko's door.

"Who's there?" The sound of his, for once, calm voice almost made Maeli melt. "Its Maeli," she answered from behind the steel door. "Go away," Zuko's voice became irritable.

"Come on, Prince, let me talk to you," Maeli urged.

"I have nothing to say, except 'Get lost'!"

"Why are you acting like this? Come on, we're the same age, you can talk to me about anything!"

"Stop acting like you're my friend."

"Don't you want friends? Please, Prince Zuko, let's talk about this."

Zuko ripped the door open so quickly, that it made Maeli take a step back and Iroh take a peek at what was going on.

Zuko's face was unreadable as he looked down at the girl, "I don't need your pity."

"I'm not- "

"And stop talking back to me! You're really starting to annoy me! Who do you think you are? Sneaking onto my ship and talking to me as if you know me!" Zuko was now so angry that he didn't realize that he had backed Maeli into a wall. His hands were bolted to the wall on each side of Maeli's head. "You are a filthy peasant and I am royalty! You will do well to hold your tongue, or I will rip it out of your mouth!" His deadly eyes frightened Maeli as he glowered into hers. "Now, do as I say and stay out of my life!"

After Maeli took in all that the young prince threw at her, she simply glared at him and ran off.

Iroh burst through the hall, "ZUKO! How could you say that? Apologize to her right now!"

"Leave me alone, Uncle!" Zuko tried to slam his door but Iroh caught it, "Go apologize!"

Zuko faced his Uncle, "Why should I? She has the nerve to mention my banishment after taking shelter on my ship, and you expect me to say I'm sorry? She needs to apologize for embarrassing me."

"How did you become so stubborn," Iroh muttered, "Listen to me, you could be missing out on a great opportunity to make a friend."

"She's - a - peasant!" Zuko emphasized.

"So what? Just because you're on different statuses doesn't mean that she's a bad person, or an unworthy person. You can have friends of any kind! Having friends makes life enjoyable." There was a silence as Zuko pondered those last words. Iroh continued, "Trust me, if you just open your heart to her, she will in turn open her heart to you, and she'll see what a wonderful person you really are. And I think you both share something in common. Don't let the past drag you down; you have to move on and make a positive future for yourself."

After a moment's thought, Zuko responded in a low voice, "I need some time alone." His uncle left without another word.

"_We share something in common…'Learn to love others'…is that what she's trying to do? Love other people? Hmph, I guess it's the same for me…I guess I really did mess up. How is she going to like someone like me after I said such a bias thing? Dammit, I screwed up…I always screw up."_ Zuko gripped his head in pain and disgust. He engulfed himself in a wave of regret and feared that these painful memories and emotions would never leave his soul in peace.

Meanwhile, Maeli was sitting on the stairway that led to the deck. She sat in a daze, tracing the veins on the underside of her left arm with her finger. The quarrel with Zuko didn't make her poignant, but frustrated. How was she going to befriend someone who hated her? She wanted to get along with him if she were to stay on his ship. Besides, she kind of had a liking for him, although he appeared to be an arrogant, sexist, prejudice, spoiled prince. She knew there was some good underneath all of that, or at least she hoped.

The lieutenant came out of his quarters and saw Maeli sitting on the steps. "Why are you all alone?" The man's voice startled the girl. She glanced at him and said, "I dunno. Being bored." The lieutenant took a sip of his drink then said, "You're from the Earth Kingdom, right? General Iroh told us."

"Yes, I am."

"Then, could you do me a favor and come with me?"

Maeli was puzzled but went with him anyway. The next thing she knew, she was surrounded by a bunch of men in a fire-lit room, at the lower parts of the ship.

"Uhh- why am I here?" she questioned, not liking the setup.

"We've been at sea for 3 years with little entertainment. So, could you tell us some jokes or stories?" said the lieutenant.

"Eh? That's all? Okay, I guess. But why me?"

Another man spoke, "Because a lot of stuff that's told around here is either worn-out or just plain boring, so a new face is nice to have around. Do you have any legends and stuff like that from the Earth Nation?"

"Yeah, lots actually…"

Maeli and the men had a fun time for hours on end; she even introduced new dances and songs to them. They all danced and sang around the room. One guy played some kind of guitar for the people to dance to. They eventually came around to telling scary stories and gossiping about Zuko; this which Maeli did not enjoy very much. All of this entertainment lasted into the evening. One of the guys gave Maeli a red sash to put on her shoulders as a gift for making they're evening an enjoyable one. It matched well with her outfit.

Zuko woke up from a nap. As he sat up to stretch, a big map fell off of his chest. Surely he had fallen asleep from working too hard. He rubbed his eyes to see; the room was a bit dark, due to the flames of the candles dimming. His stomach growled. _"Food"_ was the first word that entered his mind. As he made his way to the kitchen, he noticed that a few guards were missing in the hallways. The cook was nowhere to be found either. The lieutenant was gone, so was the hounds men, the engine worker, and even his sparring partner! "What the hell is going on?" the confused prince asked himself. Then it clicked, _"Wait, they must be…"_

Back in the room, everyone was still joking around. Maeli was dancing with the cook, when suddenly; Zuko came bursting through the door. "What're you all doing here!" Everyone stood frozen. Seeing Maeli reminded Zuko of what had happened earlier. The cook spoke up, "Just hanging out with Maeli and keeping her company." It was hard to tell whether Zuko was annoyed or just had a sleepy expression on his face; either way, it wasn't pleasing. "Well, you've had your fun, not get back to work!" The crew thanked Maeli for a good time and left. Zuko closed the door behind him and said to Maeli, "I need to talk to you". Once the crew heard this, they immediately pressed their ears against the door to snoop. Maeli turned away from the prince. Zuko walked up slowly behind her, "Look, I'm sorry for what I said. It was wrong."

"_Yeah, it was,"_ thought Maeli.

"I shouldn't discriminate against people. Doing that only shows how ignorant I am." He stopped right behind Maeli and she could feel his warm breath on the back of her neck. _"He's so close,"_ the girl's heartbeat quickened. "I…promise not to call you a peasant again. I'll try to be…_nice_r." Zuko could only whisper that last word because he was too introverted to say it aloud. Maeli turned around and came face to face with those golden eyes once more. She smiled, "You're forgiven." She hugged him but Zuko didn't hug back; he just stood there, feeling awkward. "And I'm sorry for upsetting you," she added.

Zuko's loud, rumbling stomach made Maeli laugh, "What timing, eh?" She motioned the prince to the door, "Go eat." Zuko smiled, but just slightly. When he opened the door, the crew freaked out. Zuko blinked, "I thought I told you to get back to work!"

"YES, SIR!" The crew shouted in unison and then returned back to their posts.

**End of chapter 2!**

**Comments, concerns, donuts? Review!**


	3. The Hoshi Festival

**I apologize for my slow updates. I've been busy brainstorming new chapters for three other incomplete fanfictions. I appreciate all of the reviews. I'm thinking of changing the rating to Teen 'cause it might get pretty nasty later on – and I mean nasty as in violent. Anyway, the story continues…This chapter is pretty long.**

**Chapter 3: The Hoshi Festival**

****

Everyone had been sailing for two days straight. Maeli got accustomed to hanging out with the crew whenever she got bored. She became quiet popular with everyone. They enjoyed having her sunny spirit around. Most of the time, Zuko didn't know that Maeli was spending time with the crew, or if he did, he didn't mind unless the cook wasn't making his meals. The prince wasn't sure why, but the girl who came to stay on his ship started to grow on him. He pondered the confusing emotions twirling inside of him.

One day, they finally came to a stop at an Earth Kingdom village. Zuko knew that the Avatar was in the next village over; about another day or two of sailing. He stopped the ship to stock up on items for the Avatar's capture. Maeli was asleep that morning when Zuko went to the marketplace. If she was up earlier, she would've went with him. Noon was approaching, and Maeli had just finished eating. She didn't know they made a pit stop until she walked out on the deck and saw that the ship was stationary. She went to see the Lieutenant to find out where they were; it was Komoi. Maeli's eyes glittered when she heard that name. She's always heard of the Hoshi Festival that was held in Gangu, which was the neighboring village of Komoi; and she has been dying to attend.

"Uncle Iroh, I'm going to the marketplace for a bit, okay? I won't be long!" Maeli called from behind Iroh's bedroom door.

"Alright, be careful!" he called back.

"'Kay!" She slipped on her shoes and bolted outside. She was anxious to find out when the festival would be held. It was always advertised in Komoi because the festival would have a huge parade that would stretch from Gangu to Komoi. If possible, she would stay in town until it was time; after all, Iroh _did_ say that she could leave the ship whenever she wanted. But would she really do it? Once Maeli made it into town, she saw Hoshi Fest flyers posted all over the place. "Yes!" she cheered to herself. While she was in the middle of reading one, a man came up to her.

"Hey, Fire Nation girl, what're _you_ doing here?"

Maeli looked at him puzzled, "Hm? Me? I'm not from the Fire Nation."

"Then what're those clothes you're wearing?" Maeli looked at her outfit and felt stupid. The man continued, "Looks like Fire Nation to me."

"Oh, well, this is just a coincidence, honest! I'm really from the Earth Nation. I had to wear this because- "

"Liar! You're probably a spy! I bet you've come to ruin our festival!" The man's loud voice attracted attention. Many villagers began to turn on Maeli.

"Fire Nation! Get out!" a woman shouted.

"We don't need anymore trouble from you! We've lost enough of our people in the war!" an old man remarked.

A little boy threw a rock at Maeli's waist saying, "Take that!"

"What the-! Stop that!" Maeli hollered.

"Get lost, wench!" another man called.

The villagers all began to chuck rocks at her. "Hey, wait a minute!" Maeli tried to reason with them, but they didn't listen and began to get more violent; cursing and throwing other items at her. Running away seemed like the best thing to do, but then the whole crowed chased after her.

Zuko just came out of the bath. He had been training all morning and needed a refreshing bath. When he passed by Maeli's room to tell her about "Not Using Zuko's Soap", he was surprised that she wasn't there.

Zuko knocked on Iroh's door, "Uncle, where's Maeli?"

"Oh, she went to the marketplace. Come to think of it, she's been gone for quite some time. I hope she isn't lost."

"What was she wearing when she left?"

"I don't know, I didn't see. Why?"

Zuko dashed back to the girl's room and found her Earth Kingdom dress lying on the small table with her cloak. "That stupid girl!" Zuko shouted as he ran out. "All of you, come with me!" he called to the six guards in the hall.

Iroh came out of his room when he heard his nephew's shout, "Where are you going?" Zuko didn't answer, for he was already gone.

Maeli was still running from the angry mob. "Leave me alone! I'm not from the Fire Nation, I'm from Nyu-Jong!"

"She lies! Kill her before her people destroy our land!" a man shouted. "YEAH!" The crowd cheered. An earth bender shifted the ground underneath Maeli's feet and she fell on her stomach. "Crush her, crush her!" the crowd encouraged. Three earth benders flung baseball sized rocks at her. Maeli managed to dodge a few but still got hit hard with the ones she couldn't dodge.

"The stupid girl can't even fight back."

"Why don't you use your _fire bending_?"

The crowd's jeers angered Maeli. At that moment, she wished she _were_ a fire bender.

As Zuko made his way into the town, he could hear the commotion of the crowd up ahead. _"Don't tell me they've already gotten to her!"_ He and the guards ran in the direction of the riot.

One earth bender stomped on the ground and summoned a giant boulder, throwing it at the defenseless girl. She screamed and narrowly evaded it; it crashed into the ground. The other two bender followed suit and threw boulders at her as well. Maeli was getting exhausted from running around in the hot sun. She knew that she couldn't keep this up forever. Two more boulders came flying at her, one on her left and the other on her right.

When Zuko finally made it, he saw all of the deranged people gathered in a circle around Maeli. He saw the boulders hurtling towards her. Luckily, they missed; however, when the boulders collided, rocks flew everywhere. A big chunk of rock struck Maeli in the side of her head, her eyes rolled back, and she was knocked to the ground. Zuko stood in shock for a second, but then his adrenaline flared up and the veins in his hands popped up when he balled them into fists. He ran towards the crowd, yelling, and savagely shooting fire at everyone in sight. The villagers scattered in fright. "SEIZE THOSE EARTH BENDERS!" Zuko shouted at the top of his lungs. While the guards ran the crowd away, Zuko rushed to Maeli's side. He knelt next to her and stared at her bruised body. There were marks all on her arms and face. One cut on her arm was bleeding. The spot where the rock had hit her head was red - the spot was just above her left temple. At first, Zuko was afraid to touch the girl because she looked dead. He gently lifted her head.

"Maeli…Maeli!" he tapped her cheek. "Maeli, wake up!…I said wake up!" he said, shaking her. "Open your eyes!"

He pressed two fingers on her neck; she still had a pulse.

One of the guards came up to him, "Sir, is she alright?"

Zuko didn't answer. He scooped Maeli into his arms and stared at her. He turned to the rest of the guards and said, "Teach these wretched earth benders a lesson they will never forget. Return to the ship when you're done." He turned to leave with two guards escorting him. The horrifying screams of the earth benders rang out as they were being tortured.

"_They must burn in Hell for hurting you."_

Bit by bit, light made its way through Maeli's tunnel of darkness. A soft glow of candlelight lit the room. The girl's vision was blurry and her head ached terribly. She slowly sat up to find out where she was. Pain struck her body when she moved, she felt sore all over. She stared blankly at the candles across the room. Everything seemed like a dream. Maeli's body began to move on its own. Once she got out of bed and took a step forward, she tripped over something. It was Zuko. He was sleeping on the floor. He suddenly sprung up and found Maeli lying across his torso. "Maeli!" He turned her over on her back and saw that she was crying. "Are you alright?" She didn't reply. "Say something!"

"…Head….hurts," was all she could manage to say.

Zuko lifted her back into bed, "You still need to rest. You've been unconscious all day. Do you remember what happened?" Maeli shook her head 'no'. Zuko continued, "Some earth benders attacked you because you were wearing Fire Nation clothes." Maeli whimpered in pain and turned her face away from Zuko so he wouldn't see her cry. Zuko frowned upon the girl and said, "Stop crying. It'll only make your head hurt more." He gently wiped the tears away. He then grabbed a wet face towel from a bowl of warm water and placed it on the girl's forehead.

"What…time is it?"

"It's the middle of the night. And tomorrow, we'll be arriving at Gangu."

Gangu. That name sounded familiar to Maeli, but she couldn't remember why… "I'm sorry, Zuko…" she whispered.

"For what?"

"I've…caused trouble…"

Zuko sighed, "Forget it. You're too modest…it annoys me." There was silence. "Maeli?" He bended over her; Maeli's eyes were barely open and staring at the ceiling. "Uh, Maeli?"

A little grin stretched across her face, "Oh, a firefly" she said dreamily. She reached up and pressed her hands against Zuko's cheeks. She puckered her lips and Zuko freaked out. He broke away from her saying, "Wha- what's gotten into you?"

Just then, Iroh walked in, rubbing his eyes. "What's going on? I thought I heard a loud thud."

"Maeli is awake."

"Oh, good, good! How is she?" he walked over.

"Dazed. She tried to…kiss me."

Iroh chuckled, "Maybe she thought you were her Prince Charming." Zuko didn't find that amusing.

The next day, Maeli seemed to have made a full recovery, although she barely remembered what happened at the marketplace. She decided to wear her Earth Kingdom dress for a while just in case she might go somewhere. She didn't interact much that day, but still had that sunny atmosphere around her. That evening, Maeli sat in her room drawing on a piece of parchment that she found in her room. She had no one to talk to at the moment, so drawing was her only solution. Just as she was beginning to indulge herself in a world of art, there came a knock at her door. "Come in", she called, not averting her eyes away from her work. The steel door creaked open and an old man's voice said, "Good evening! I brought you some Jasmine Tea". Maeli looked up and smiled, "Thanks!" Iroh pulled up a small table from the corner of the room and placed the contents on top of it.

"What are you up to?" Iroh asked.

"Drawing," Maeli shrugged. She sat up and sipped the tea. "Mmm! This is good!" Iroh smiled and took a seat on the bed. "How are you feeling?"

"Okay."

"So, you think you might be able to go out tonight?"

"Umm, I guess." Maeli blinked confused. Iroh smiled widely, "I'm going to set you and Zuko up on a date." Maeli chocked on her tea, "D-date! But why? We're not…a couple!"

"It doesn't have to be a couple date, just a friendly date…Or _is_ it?" Iroh stroked his beard in wonderment.

Maeli stared dumbstruck for a moment, "Uncle, you're scaring me."

"Well, a festival is to be held tonight, here in Gangu. Lucky we stopped here, eh?"

"But, how are you going to get Prince Zuko to take me, and what am I going to wear?"

A devious grin stretched across Iroh's face, "Just watch, I'll be right back." Just as Iroh rose to his feet, Zuko was passing by the door. "Ah- perfect timing. Zuko!" Iroh called.

"Yes?" answered the young prince.

"Maeli would like to go to the Earth Kingdom festival tonight. You should take her."

"Uh, but why?"

"Because it'll be nice for the two of you to spend some quality time together, and I'm feeling a bit under the weather. But if you refuse, you're going to play the tsungi horn tonight for music night." Zuko groaned. "Oh, and she wants to get a kimono," Iroh added.

"What? Now I have to buy something for her too!"

"Do it, or you're going to sing a song too."

Zuko's face turned pale, "Fine," he growled. _"Go, Uncle!" _Maeli cheered in her mind. Once Zuko walked off, Iroh turned to the girl and smiled, "Now put on your sandals, and hurry; you don't want to miss anything!" "Thank you!" Maeli embraced him and ran for the door. Iroh smiled as he watched the girl leave his sight, but then he frowned, "Ugh, I hope Zuko won't do anything foolish."

Before Zuko left, he changed into regular Earth Kingdom-looking clothes so he wouldn't have any problems like Maeli did. She met him at the door, "Ready?"

"Yeah."

The bridge opened and the two walked down, into the night.

It was a cool, calm night, and the air was sweet with the scent of fresh, wet grass. As Zuko and Maeli came closer to the marketplace, they could hear the commotion of the festival. There were star shaped lanterns hanging up on strings down the streets. Some people had star themed face paintings, there were star sparklers, and little kids dressed in star suits. "Looks like a festival celebrating the stars," said Maeli. Zuko didn't reply, he was too busy trying to not look so conspicuous. "Oh, here's a clothing place!" Maeli grabbed Zuko by his hand and dashed into the store. She gaped at the lovely kimonos and yukatas that covered the walls of the shop.

"Wow! I don't know where to start!"

"Just don't get anything expensive," Zuko informed. "Yes sir!" Maeli  
saluted, mockingly.

An old woman greeted the two, "Ahh, good evening, and Happy Hoshi Day!"

"'Hoshi Day'? Are you celebrating the stars or something?" asked Maeli.

"Yes, legend has it, that about 600 years ago, a child from the Heavens came to Gangu when a plague of illness struck our village. The boy had extraordinary healing abilities, and immediately cured all who were sick. The child then returned to the sky in the form of a shooting star. Ever  
since that day, we've held a festival in honor of our savior."

"That amazing! I wish I could see this star child!"

"Could you just pick something out!" Zuko growled.

The shopkeeper's eyes widened, "Oh my, seems like your boyfriend is anxious  
to get to the festival!"

Maeli blushed, "Oh, he's-" "I'm not her boyfriend!" Zuko interrupted. Maeli sighed. She shook it off and began looking around. Then, her eyes fell upon a dark purple kimono, decorated with light purple, lily silhouettes and had a matching sash around the waist. "Oooo I really like this one!" Maeli picked out one her size and measured it to her body. "Hmm, this should fit. Can I change in here?"

The shopkeeper nodded.

The kimono fit perfectly and Maeli immediately checked it out. She didn't realize how much it cost until Zuko shouted, "I thought I told you nothing expensive!" But he ended up paying for it anyway after Maeli muttered 'tsungi horn'. She stuffed her Earth Kingdom dress into a bag and strolled out the store, swinging it on her wrist. Maeli left the shop in a cheerful mood, while Zuko was in a huff.

"Hey, you want to grab something to eat?" she asked the boy next to her.

"Fine," Zuko replied. For some reason, his eyes kept staring at Maeli's kimono. It made her look kind of…cute. Maeli caught Zuko staring and said, "What's wrong?"

"Nothing…"

"You were looking at me kind of hard, there," Maeli elbowed his arm gently.

"It just…that kimono…"

Maeli shrugged it off and went to the first vender. Star shaped sandwiches caught her eye and she dashed over. She asked for two while Zuko only had one. Then they came to a vender that had bowls of little pink fruit on display. They were shaped like balls about the size of cherries. "What're these?" Maeli asked the merchant.

"Would you like to try a sample?" he offered.

"Sure!"

"I don't want any," Zuko muttered.

"Aw, come on," Maeli held it up to him. Zuko rolled his eyes and stuffed it in his mouth.

The delicious fruit overjoyed Maeli, "Hey, this is good! It's really sweet! What do call these?"

The merchant smiled, "Lovers Fruit". Both Maeli's and Zuko's eyes popped. They were dumbstruck. The man explained, "If you share this bowl of fruit with someone you love, you'll be together forever and the passion you have for each other will grow deeper each day you spend together." Maeli's eyes glittered.

"That's dumb," Zuko criticized.

"No its not, it romantic! I'll take a bowl please!"

"What? You don't need that! Besides, you just ate two sandwiches!" Zuko exclaimed.

"So? I'm hungry," Maeli shrugged. Zuko slapped his face in his hand and once  
again, ended up spending money. Maeli took the peeved prince by the hand and led him up a hill. "This is a nice view; we can see everything from here!" said the girl as she sat on the grass.  
Maeli took a bite out of the fruit and let out a big _Mmm!_

"This is sooo good! You want some more?"

"No thanks. I've had enough of that stuff."

"But they're really yummy!"

"No."

"C'mon, please! Please, my Prince," Maeli held up the bitten fruit to Zuko's mouth and pleaded with big puppy dog eyes.

"You recover fast, don't you?" Zuko commented on the fact that she had that head injury the day before.

"Yup!"

Zuko groaned and ate the remaining half of fruit, "There, you happy?" Maeli only smiled.

During their time together, Maeli noticed that Zuko would reach his hand into the bowl and eat a fruit. She was glad that he had come to like it. Just as Maeli reached for the last one, she felt Zuko's hand bump into hers. "Oh, you can have it," she offered. "No, you eat it," Zuko sighed. Maeli split it in half, "There." While Zuko ate his half and stared out at the open, the wheels in Maeli's head were turning. The Hoshi Festival and Gangu seemed familiar to her… "Oh! That's right! I remember the Hoshi Festival now! Heh, I forgot all about it when I got hit in the head."

"Hmph, good. Hopefully nothing like that will happen ever again," Zuko replied.

"Were you worried about me?"

Zuko only shrugged. There was silence between them as they stared up at the starry sky.

"Ya' know, this is fun; we don't have many festivals in my village. I attended two festivals, though; once when I was little, and I went to the second one with my ex-boyfriend for my 14th birthday. I wish we had more…How about you?"

"We have a some."

"Hm. I'd like to go to them. Maybe you could take me someday."

"Why would I do that?"

"Because Uncle Iroh will make you," Maeli giggled. Zuko sucked his teeth. "Okay, I'm just kidding. But still, even though you may think this is boring, I'm glad I'm getting to hang out with you. I've never been to a festival with my friends, we never had a chance to go."

Zuko faced her with an unfeeling expression in his eyes, "Who ever said we were friends?"

Maeli's heart ached at his comment, "Oh, well, I just thought that...never mind." She sighed and stared down at her feet, "I thought, you didn't think of me as a worthless, peasant girl anymore."

"No, it's not like that. You just, don't understand."

"Then tell me what's troubling you." Maeli was able to make eye contact with him, but he slowly looked away. Maeli frowned and looked out at the field.

Zuko spoke again, "Why would you even want to be friends with someone like me?" The girl faced him, surprised, "What do you mean?"

"…I'm not friend material…"

"Zuko…why degrade yourself like that? You're a good person. There's nothing wrong with you."

"Nothing wrong? Look at me! People look away in fright when they see my face!" He turned away, "I'm not meant to get close to anyone."

Maeli scooted closer to him and placed her arm around his shoulder, "It must be that scar, right? Is that why you think people won't like you?" The prince didn't respond. "Look, some people are just ignorant. Beauty is only skin-deep. The real beauty is the heart and soul of that person, not their appearance…Sure, I may look for a handsome guy, but I also look at what kind of personality they have. If its not to my liking, then I leave them alone, no matter how attractive they may be."

Zuko raised his head, "Why are you telling me this?"

"Because I don't want you to think that I am befriending you because I pity you. I want to be your friend because I know you're a wonderful person inside, and I know that if I can bring the good out of you, then we'll both be happy…I need you just as much as you need me."

Zuko gazed at her in amazement and a bit of puzzlement, "You're…strange."

Maeli smiled, "Is that so? Hmm. Or maybe I just have a heart of gold." She chuckled at the thought. She sat back at continued staring at the sky. Zuko wrapped his hand around Maeli's waist, "Maybe this is a good omen after all."

"What is?"

"Meeting you."

Maeli smiled widely, "It's the same for me." And for once, in a somewhat happy mood, Zuko smiled back.

For the rest of the evening, Maeli and Zuko enjoyed their time at the festival playing games, watching people perform acts on stage, and even dancing! The prince had to admit; he had a great time, even though his date almost cleaned out the money he brought with him. They stayed for a short while to watch the parade to Komoi, then called it a night. They quietly walked down the hallway, the guards greeted them as they past. They stood outside Maeli's bedroom.

"Well, thanks for taking me out. I had lots of fun!"

"Yeah, I did too," he shrugged. "It was well put together."

She hugged him tight and then kissed him on the cheek, "Sweet dreams!"

Zuko lied in his bed reminiscing on his day. Maeli really was becoming someone important to him.

**End of chapter 3!**

**Awwww…mushy mushy. 3**


	4. Hide and Seek

**Sorry for the delay; there's been some problems with the Document Manager.**

**Hummm….I'm still debating on whether or not to change the rating for this story. I mean, there won't be too much violence but at the same time…I dunno. Maybe I won't. (shrugs) We'll see what the future holds. I started adding horizontal rule breaks in the story to show a break in time. (shrugs) Just in case anyone was wondering.**

**Oh my gosh, I had a hard time with this chapter and the next. My inner critic kept saying, "This is el crappo!" And I'm like, lying on the floor crying, "Nyoooo Leave me alone you beast!" Anyway, just read it and make your own judgments about it.**

* * *

**Chapter 4: Hide and Seek**

Maeli ran down the hall with a small plate of food in her hands, screaming Uncle Iroh's name. He came out of his room to see what was the matter. She nervously jumped up and down, "There's a giant scorpion-spider on the steps! Kill it, kill iiit!" she whined in a deep voice. "Alright, watch the master at work," Iroh slipped off his shoe and pounded the unlucky creature into the steel step. Maeli scrunched her face in disgust, "Ugh, its even creepier when its smashed!" Iroh chuckled as he picked up the dead creature in a rag.

"Those things are so scary," Maeli shuddered. "Yes, scary and deadly," said Iroh as he walked off to throw it away. Maeli walked up to the deck, making sure not to step on the spot where the scorpion-spider was killed. She stood eating another piece of scrambled egg as she looked around. "He's not here…" She went back down to find out where her prince had gone.

"Uncle, where's Zuko?"

"He went into town to find the Avatar. He'll probably be gone all day." He sighed, "He's so stubborn."

"Why is he trying to catch him anyway?"

Iroh scratched the back of his head, "Well, I think that's something Zuko should tell you himself. I could, but it'd be better if he did."

Maeli folded her arms in thought, "Maybe I should help him."

"Oh no, you don't want to get yourself mixed up in that. You'll make enemies that way."

"Okay…Then, I'll just go look for Zuko."

Iroh grinned, "Want to be with him that badly, eh?"

"Yeah," the girl smiled, "He's fun to be with, especially when he's kind of pissed. Its fun to see his wild facial expressions…When he's like-" she mocked one of Zuko's shouting-faces. Iroh laughed, "Yep. That's my nephew!" He reached into his pocket and handed Maeli some money. "Take this in case you find something nice."

"Thank you! And I'll change my clothes this time."

* * *

Just a few miles away, another Fire Nation ship was nearing Gangu. 

Maeli wandered around the village. It was packed with all sorts of people: dancers, artists, fortunetellers, you name it! It was pretty populated. A fruit market caught Maeli's eye - she loved fruit. There were watermelons, cantaloupes, apples, and even some stuff she never seen before. The shopkeeper greeted her, "Good afternoon, would you like to buy something?"

"Oh, not now, just looking. Your fruit looks so fresh!"

"Excuse me," came a boy's voice. He walked up to the vender, looking tired. He had brown skin, blue eyes, wore a Water Tribe outfit, and his dark-brown hair was tied back into a bushy pony-tail. "Are you hiring?"

The woman shook her head, "No, sorry. But I think help is needed at the OstrichHorse farm."

The boy groaned, "Never mind." His stomach growled loudly. "Shut up down there!" he yelled at it. Maeli giggled, "Hungry?" "Very," the boy replied. "I'll buy you something to eat," said Maeli as she pulled the money out of her bag. The boy's face lit up, "Really? Thank you so much!" he began to drool.

They went from shop to shop, buying all sorts of food, and a lot for that matter. "Why do you need all of this?" Maeli asked. "Its for me and my friends. Wanna help me bring it to them"  
"Uh, sure. By the way, what's your name?"

"Sokka."

"I'm Maeli." They carried all of the bags to an abandoned house. Inside, were two people: a girl and a boy. The girl wore the same kind of outfit as Sokka but the younger boy wore an Airnomad outfit and had a blue arrow on his head.

"Hey, Sokka's back!" the young boy jumped up. "Wow! Look at all the food!"

"Where'd you get the money for this?" the girl asked.

"She paid for it," Sokka pointed at Maeli. Maeli smiled and waved.

"Thank you so much!" said the girl.

Sokka jumped in, "No, not just thank you! Bless you! Praise you! You're our savior!" He groveled at Maeli's feet. She only laughed.

"Why don't you join us?" the girl offered.

"Okay," Maeli sat down with them. The girl across from her held out her hand, "My name is Katara." "I'm Maeli," she said, shaking her hand. Katara continued, "This is my brother Sokka and this is Aang."

"Nice to meet you!" Maeli smiled.

"Thanks for the food, we were starving!" said Aang. A lemur hopped into his lap and reached for some food from his plate. Maeli took a bite of grilled fish, "Are you guys travelers?"

"Ohh! This beef is delicious!" Sokka cried with joy. Both Maeli and Katara gave him a weird look.

"Yeah, we're traveling to many places," Katara responded, chewing on an apple.

"Why?"

"Umm, well…" she looked over at Aang questioningly. Aang, who had a chuck of bread sticking out of his mouth, nodded. "He's the Avatar." Maeli dropped her fish. She stared in shock, "You're the Avatar? But you look so young!"

"Yeah, I'm 12; or technically 112."

"Whoa…But, but its dangerous to be out and about! People are out to capture you!"

"Aww, don't worry, I can take care of myself. Besides, I have my friends with me!" he smiled widely.

"You're so cute. It'd be terrible if something happened to you."

"Really? Y-you think I'm cute?" Aang's ears and cheeks turned rosy red. Maeli nodded. "Then, check this out!" He balanced a bell pepper on his head while he shook his booty. The two girls burst into laughter; Sokka didn't notice because he was too busy eating. "Is he always this goofy?" Maeli giggled. "Yeah," Katara laughed.

The gang sat talking for quite some time. Maeli couldn't remember the last time she hung out with her old friends like this. It made her kind of happy to be able to interact with easy-going people, but at the same time, she knew Zuko was hunting them down. When Aang mentioned his name, Maeli's thoughts had been confirmed.

"He's been trying to capture me but I don't know why," said Aang.

Maeli nodded, "I don't know why either" she thought. "Well, I should get going; my dad will wonder where I went. And you guys should leave this place soon, you don't want Zuko to catch up to you."

"Don't worry, we're leaving in the morning," Katara informed.

"Okay. Be careful," Maeli rose to her feet and waved good-bye. "Bye!" they all called.

Maeli was very worried - she didn't want Zuko to bother these innocent people. What was his reason behind it all? She searched frantically for Zuko, she wanted to get him back on the ship so he wouldn't find them. Suddenly, she spotted him sitting under a shady tree. She ran over to him.

"Zuko, hey! What're you doing out here?"

"Nothing," he answered tiredly. He was all sweaty.

"You look worn out. Guess that happens when you walk out in the hot sun for too long. Why don't you come back to the ship and rest?"

"I can't. I'm really busy."

"Please, just for a little while?" she pleaded.

"…Fine."

* * *

That afternoon, Maeli joined Zuko in his room to have a conversation; she found him looking over a map. "Oh, are you busy?" she asked. 

"Yes. But you can stay if you want."

Maeli took a seat on the floor, resting her back against Zuko's bed and twiddling her thumbs, "Its cozy in here."

Zuko lifted his head from his work as he remembered something, "Maeli…last night, at the festival, you mentioned your ex-boyfriend…Why did you break up?" The girl blinked, "You want to know about that? Gee, well…" she scratched her head in embarrassment, "I found him cheating on me. I was going to visit one of my friends that day, when I saw him and another girl kissing. When I…confronted him…" she lowered her head as she remembered the painful memory, "he told me that he couldn't stand being around me anymore. He said that I moped around too much because my dad and brother died. He said that I was boring him and he got sick of being around me…I have to admit, I did cry a lot. I guess it annoyed him." Zuko gazed at her; it was his first time hearing this kind of story. Maeli continued, "I tried to date this other guy, but it turns out that he was only using me to make someone else jealous. I felt so stupid - falling in love with someone so easily. After that, I stopped trusting people."

"That's terrible…someone nice like you doesn't deserve to be hurt like that." Zuko fix his eyes on the girl, feeling sorrow in his heart.

Maeli produced a weak smile, "Yeah well, I'm kind of used to getting hurt now. When you're traveling all by yourself, you encounter different kinds of people. And let me tell ya', not all people are nice." She spoke from experience during her travels. She got up and moved to sit on Zuko's right side. "So, are you looking for the Avatar's location?" she asked, peeking at the map.

Zuko was still staring at her, wondering why she seemed to cheer up so quickly. He turned to his map again, "Um, yeah, I know he's here, but I just want to double check. I couldn't find him yet."

"Why are you trying to find him anyway?"

As always, he didn't answer.

"Sorry."

"No," Zuko spoke, "I'll tell you. But not now…later perhaps."

There were so many questions buzzing around in Maeli's head. She wanted to know what the rest of Zuko's family was like, what his favorite food was, and most importantly how he felt about her. She leaned away from the map and gazed upon Zuko's profile, "He's so cute when he's concentrating." She averted her eyes to the table so he wouldn't notice her staring. "Hey, Zuko…"

He looked over at her, "Hm?"

"I know we've only spent a couple of days together but I feel like we're close, you know; like friends? And I was wondering…if…"

"What?" Zuko urged.

She had the desire to kiss him. His eyes looked so gentle and relaxed, she just wanted to spring forward and grab him, "Well…I really- "

There was a knock at the door. Iroh walked in; he looked distressed, "Its Zhao."

"What?" Zuko jumped up and followed his uncle out the room. Maeli stood outside the door and watched them walk towards the deck. She leaned against the wall and stared sadly at her feet. "I'm so stupid," she muttered.

Zhao had connected a walkway between his ship and Zuko's. He stood on Zuko's deck with his hands behind his back and guards at his side. "Prince Zuko, we meet again," he smirked.

"So it seems," Zuko did not look happy to see him.

"What do you want Zhao?" Iroh asked.

Maeli poked her head out from behind a wall to spy on them.

"Its Admiral Zhao, now. The Fire Lord has given me orders to make sure that you don't interfere with my plan."

"What plan?" Zuko scowled.

"To capture the Avatar."

Maeli gasped.

"You liar!" Zuko tried to lunge at the man in front of him but Iroh held him back. "There's no way my father would assign that to you! He sent me to do it, it's my mission!"

"Not anymore," Zhao stepped closer to the prince and spoke in a mocking tone, "The Fire Lord is getting impatient. He said that you're not making any progress. He's very disappointed. So, he sent someone more responsible to do it and he said to make sure that you don't get in my way."

"How do we know it's the truth?" Iroh questioned.

Zhao waved his hand to one of the guards and he brought him a scroll. "Read it for yourself."

Zuko opened the scroll and read. It was clear by the look on his face that he was angry and hurt.

"Now, guards, take your places. Zuko has to stay in for tonight. In the meantime, I'll prepare for the mission." Zhao walked back to his ship with a satisfied grin on his face.

Maeli saw Zuko coming and tried to hide in the shadows, but it was futile. He didn't say a word - he simply stared at her with no expression. Iroh didn't say anything either. As the prince continued to march back to his room, Maeli quietly followed. Just as he touched the handle of the door, Maeli caught his other hand. She looked at him with worry in her eyes. He was too upset to speak. He gripped her hand tight as he stared at the door; it was as if he was trying to send her a telepathic message. He let go and went inside. Maeli held her head low. Poor Zuko's problems seemed to keep piling up and Maeli felt useless. She wished she could wipe away his troubles with the snap of her fingers. The only thing she could do was to get the Avatar away so Zhao wouldn't capture him. She left the ship without informing anyone of where she was going.

Zuko lied on his bed with his head stuffed in the pillow. He felt like killing something. He was so angry, yet, so sad; he felt as if he would cry. His father seemed to be playing a cruel game with him. First he tells him to capture the Avatar and now he tells someone else to do it. At this point, Zuko began to question what his father was really up to. However, he felt guilty when he thought of this. He didn't want to think that his father might hate him; he was all he had left. His mother disappeared and his sister was psychotic. Iroh has been there for Zuko over the past 3 years, but he still had a great love for his father.

* * *

The sun was near setting and most of the hustle and bustle of the town had died down. Maeli ran as fast as she could to reach the abandoned house. But then she realized she didn't know where it was! She cursed to herself; now what was she going to do? She took a moment to think…Then, someone shouted her name. Maeli looked to the right, squinted her eyes, and saw a boy waving in the distance. It was Aang. She immediately ran over to him. 

"Hey, I got this for you," said the boy as he handed Maeli a sunflower.

"Oh, thanks."

"I was hoping I'd see you again before we left. Hey, why don't you come with me! I found this sunflower near a giant cornfield! Its really awesome!"

"Oh, no I can't. Aang, you have to get out of here! This guy is coming out here to get you!"

Aang spoke cheerfully as if he didn't hear what she said, "Okay, well let's go have fun while we can!" He took Maeli by the hand and began taking her to the direction of the field.

"Did you hear me? I said some guy is coming to capture you and you don't care?"

"It's alright. I have my flying bison with me, so it won't be a problem once I call him to step on the guy. Besides, I've gotten out of predicaments before, so don't worry."

Maeli sighed, "I hope you're right. Let's just make this really quick, okay?"

"No prob.!"

When they came to the field, Maeli's mouth dropped. The corns were at least 7 feet tall and the entire field covered a large amount of land. "Come on, let's play hide and seek!" Aang dove right in. "Wait!" Maeli called as she followed. The field of corn was thick and a bit hard to maneuver in. "Okay, start counting!" Aang's voice echoed. Maeli stood in one spot, eyes covered, calling the numbers aloud. She could hear Aang rustling around to hide. The sky was now a rainbow of colors. When Maeli reached 8, the rustling had stopped. She reached 10 and shouted, "Ready or not, here I come!" Maeli was very paranoid about the situation that they were in; she felt like something bad was going to happen. She began walking. It was going to be hard to find someone in all this thickness. She walked and walked, pushing the tall stems out of her way; it was almost like a jungle. She heard a rustle. "Aang?" she called. There was no response. She walked some more. "I'm going to find you!" she called playfully, trying to get into the spirit. There came a sudden hurried rustle in her direction. Maeli glanced behind her - the noise came from her right. She ran in that direction, "Aang?" The rustling stopped, then started again; it was getting closer. She was about to run, but Aang came jumping out of the thickness and pounced on her, knocking her down.

"Gotcha'!" he laughed.

"You scared the crap outta me!" Maeli breathed.

"Sorry, but it was fun, huh?"

"I guess. But you're crushing my spleen."

"Oh, I'm sorry!" Aang levitated off of her, helped her up and said, "Okay, now it's your turn to hide."

"But- "

"C'mon just real quick, then we can go."

Maeli sighed as she stared into his big gray eyes; she had fallen for his cuteness. "Alright, but just real quick."

"Alright!" Aang cheered.

Maeli smiled weakly, "Gosh, you're adorable…With your little bald head!" she gave Aang a noogie.

"Hey, cut it out!" he laughed. "Okay, go hide." Maeli nodded and ran off. She didn't go very far because she wanted to get this game over with. She even plotted a way of getting back at Aang for scaring her. When Aang finished counting, she could hear him trudging through the field. "Fi, fye, fo, fum!" Aang called in a playfully evil voice. He stopped moving. "He's probably calculating my location. Heh, little devil won't sneak up on me this time," thought Maeli. She moved in another direction to stay out of range. She heard rustling coming from behind her. "Don't tell me that punk found me out already!" She picked up the pace. "I know you're there!" Aang's voice echoed from the left. Maeli tried running in zigzags to lose him, but the rustling continued behind her. Then, she thought she heard rustling coming from her far left. She stopped for a moment to listen. The sky began to grow dark. All of a sudden, someone covered her mouth and pulled her backwards. It wasn't Aang, but someone else - someone much taller.

"Tell me where he is," a man whispered in her ear.

Maeli's heart raced, she wasn't sure of what to do. She broke away from the man and faced him

- it was Admiral Zhao.

**End of chapter 4!**

**ZOMG! (falls out of chair) Even I didn't see that coming! I scare myself sometimes. Damn, I'm weird.**


	5. Learning to Love

**And the fun continues! XD I apologize for my delay in submitting this chapter; been having writer's block again.**

**Chapter 5: Learning to Love**

"You," Maeli gasped as she backed away from Zhao. "How'd you find me?"

Zhao smirked, "Didn't think I noticed you on Zuko's ship?"

Maeli's eyes widened.

Zhao circled the girl like a shark; "I saw you sneaking off of the ship and followed you here. I was curious as to why a girl was with the Banished Prince...Hmph, don't tell me he's gone soft?" He stopped in front of her, "Now, go get your little Avatar friend or he'll have to come running when he hears your cries for mercy."

Maeli balled her fists, "What do you want with him anyway?"

"That's none of your business. Now," he grabbed Maeli by her shirt, "Are you going to cooperate?" Maeli struggled away from Zhao and dashed off. She started calling Aang's name when she thought she was a good distance away from the Admiral.

"Maeli, where are you?" Aang shouted.

Maeli pushed aside a patch of corn stalks and finally caught up to him, "We've got to get out of here! Its Zha-!" she was snatched back by Zhao. He held a ball of fire up to her face and said, "You'd better surrender or I'll melt this girl's face off." Aang glared at him and blew him away with a hard blast of air. Maeli was amazed at this young boy's power. "Hold on to me!" said Aang as he picked Maeli off of her feet and leaped high into the air. They landed just outside the cornfield.

"You're pretty heavy," Aang breathed.

Maeli laughed, "Yeah, well, you're strong."

The two found themselves surrounded by five of Zhao's guards. The guards shot a fiery flare at them but Aang diminished the fire with a giant swirl of air. He then ran in circles around the guards, creating a tornado. The men were flung into the sky and scattered like papers in the wind.

"We'd better get out of this area, we don't want Zhao to catch up to us," said Aang.

"Um, actually, I have to get back home."

"But, we may never meet again. I'd still like to hang out with you and I'm sure Katara and Sokka would like to have you around too."

"Sorry, but I can't. There's someone who needs me right now...and I need him."

Aang held his head low in sadness, "...Okay." Maeli gave him a hug, "Cheer up!"

The cornfield suddenly burst into flames.

"Well, maybe we'll run into each other again," Aang said hopefully.

Maeli shrugged her shoulders, "Maybe...We'll see."

"I'll let my friends know that you're okay." Aang opened his glider and flew into the sky.

Zhao angrily emerged from the cornfield; flames surrounded him. "You're not getting away!" He shot a fireball at Aang. One of the wings on Aang's glider caught fire and he crashed onto the ground. Maeli tried to stop Zhao but he pushed her away. Zhao tossed a net over Aang and tightly tied him up.

"I've got you now, Avatar!"

Aang glared at him.

"Release him!" Maeli screamed as she ran over to them. Just as Zhao was about to inflict damage upon the girl, a man came jumping out of the bushes and kicked Zhao aside. The man wore a black outfit with an eerie, blue demon-like mask. The masked man unsheathed twin swords and charged at Zhao. Zhao rose to his feet and used advanced firebending skills against his opponent.

While the two men were busy fighting, Maeli was trying to free Aang from his binding.

"Its no use, its too tight," Maeli groaned.

Aang tried to get up, but failed. "Maybe I can carry you," Maeli picked the boy up into her arms and ran. He was a bit heavy.

Zhao noticed that they were escaping, "Dammit!" he shouted. The masked man suddenly struck Zhao in his left leg. He followed after the two kids. Zhao knelt down in pain; his leg had a deep gash.

* * *

Maeli was growing tired of carrying Aang around. Her arms ached terribly.

"Hang in there!" Aang encouraged. He looked ahead and saw a small forest. "Look, there! Go in there!"

"But...Oh, alright," Maeli gasped.

The sky was just starting to turn dark. Aang's friends were still at the abandoned house; unaware of what was going on. Katara was spending her time sowing, while Sokka was fast asleep.

Aang and Maeli made it to the forest and stopped to take a breather. "I'm getting all sweaty in these ropes," Aang moaned as he struggled to break free. Maeli tried to untie him but the rope was just too strong. "I'm sorry," she said as she sat back to rest on a tree trunk. "Don't worry, I'll find a way out," said Aang. There came a rustling from the left. Both Aang and Maeli's hearts raced. _"Please don't be Zhao..."_ Maeli prayed.

"Let's go!" Aang whispered. The girl picked him up once again and they began to run. The masked man emerged from the trees and tried to pry Aang away from Maeli. Maeli took one of the man's swords and cut Aang loose. Aang inhaled deeply and blew the masked man into a tree; the man was knocked unconscious.

"Go, go!" Maeli pushed Aang along to get out of there. They ran a good distance away, and then Aang stopped. "I'd better get my friends out of this place. Can you make it home safely?"

Maeli nodded, "Just hurry! Zhao and his guards might catch up to you!" She hugged the boy, "Be safe." "I will," Aand replied, not wanting to let go. When they released each other, he smiled and jumped onto a tall branch.

Aang waved, "See ya', Maeli!" He hopped from tree to tree, making his way back to the abandoned house.

Maeli watched him leave, and headed back to the ship. Once again, the masked man appeared and shoved her into a tree. Her eyes widened, "You!" She pushed him off and tried to punch him but he caught her fist. She ripped away from his grip and ran. He chased her, and pinned her to the ground. Maeli was trying to fight him off; she pressed her hands onto the man's mask to try and get him off. They struggled for some time. Then finally, Maeli ripped his mask off and met eyes with someone she didn't expect to see: "Z-Zuko!"

It was clear by the look on his face, that the young prince was trying to hold back the rage inside of him. He spoke in a soft yet angry voice, "Before I even _begin_ to kick you off of my ship, I want an explanation as to _why_ you were helping the Avatar escape. And it better be good, because I am on the verge of losing my rational side." He grabbed Maeli's wrists so she wouldn't escape.

At first, Maeli could only stare blankly; she was too shocked to speak.

Zuko scowled, "You'd better talk." He tightened his hold on the girl's wrists.

"Uh- he...He's an innocent boy! Aang - the Avatar - he's just a boy. His life shouldn't be in jeopardy every day!...Besides, I didn't want him to be captured by Zhao; he's brutal. And I knew that it would interfere with your plan to catch him."

"Then you should've been smart enough to lure the Avatar to the ship!...I thought I could trust you..." Zuko rose to his feet and was quiet for some time. Maeli sat up and awaited his next words.

Zuko looked down at the girl, "Tomorrow you will pack your things and leave. You're no longer welcomed on my ship." He put his mask back on and left.

* * *

Aang made it back to the house and explained what had happened. The gang immediately packed their things and called for Appa. Meanwhile, Maeli was back in her room on the ship. She knew that if she left, she'd never see Zuko, Iroh, or the crew again. She had grown to love everyone and considered them as her new family. Besides, Maeli still had to get to Pyor to see her aunt; she couldn't possibly go there by herself because she didn't know the way.

Iroh came out of his room that night to make tea, when he heard loud sobs coming from down the hall. He went into Maeli's room to see what was wrong.

"Maeli, what's the matter?"

Maeli's eyes and nose were red, "Zuko...he said...that...he told me to leave! He's kicking me out tomorrow!" she cried into Iroh's chest. "I don't want to go! You guys took me in and took care of me! I have no home to return to!"

Iroh sighed deeply as he held the sad girl in his arms. "I'll go talk to him."

Before Iroh could knock on Zuko's door, he came out.

"Ah, Zuko! Why'd you- "

"I know, I know! I'm going to apologize." He walked passed his uncle and to Maeli's room. Iroh stood blinking curiously, "You are?"

Zuko saw Maeli sitting on the floor with her faced shoved into the bed; he felt pretty guilty. He placed a hand on her back to comfort her.

"Hey, I'm...sorry...I...thought about what I said and I take it back...You can stay."

Maeli didn't say anything. She slowly lifted her head and wiped her face. She turned around and embraced Zuko. Zuko gently took the girl's arms off of him and stared into her brown eyes, but only for a moment. He then retired to his room without another word. Iroh, who was waiting outside, confronted the prince, "_That was quick_...Why were you going to kick her out?"

"Forget it."

"Hmmm...And now you're allowing her to stay?...Why, were you going to...miss her?" He raised an eyebrow.

When Zuko walked into his doorway, he faced his uncle and said, "I'm tired." He then closed the door.

Zuko lied in his bed, feeling foolish. His crazy emotions were getting the best of him. He rolled on his side and pinched an aching area on his head. _"Yeah...I would miss her."_

* * *

When morning came around, Zhao's ship moved out. Zuko's ship had set sail as welland kept a good distance away from Zhao's.

Maeli didn't feel like getting out of bed that morning, but got up anyway to see if Zuko was training. She dressed herself in her Fire Nation outfit and made her way to the deck. Zuko was there, staring out at the ocean. Instead of wearing his training clothes, Zuko had on his solider uniform. Maeli walked up beside him, "Good morning. No training today?"

"No. I'm tired."

"So, where are we going?"

"To another town called Pyor. I think the Avatar escaped there."

Maeli knew that Pyor was the place where her aunt lived, but didn't say anything. "You want to play a game to pass the time?"

"No...I need to talk to you."

"Uh-oh, am I in trouble?"

"No..." he paused for a moment. "Come over here." He led the girl to a wall and they leaned against it. "I'll tell you why I'm chasing the Avatar."

Maeli was surprised, "Okay."

"Its been two years since I was banished and I'll never forget that day when it happened...As I was growing up, I wanted to know as much as I could about ruling the Fire Nation, so one day, I went into my father's war room. There was a General who had a plan to invade part of the Earth Kingdom. However, he was going to sacrifice the lives of new soldiers; use them as bait." He lowered his head, "I spoke up. I told him that it wasn't right to betray those soldiers. But I wasn't supposed to say anything. And then my father declared an Agni Kai to make up for my disrespect."

Maeli's heart sank; she knew that a fire duel could only end in pain.

"At first I thought I was going to fight the General," he balled his hands into fists, "But instead...it was my father. I begged for his forgiveness, but he kept pushing me to fight him...He told me that I had to suffer for being disrespectful...The next thing I knew, I was in excruciating pain and I could feel my face burning. I can't recall what happened after that," He touched his scar to remind himself that it was still there. "The next day, my father banished me from our kingdom and said that I can regain my honor if I bring the Avatar to him." His fists began to tremble, "I've tried really hard...but..."

Maeli held Zuko's arm to relax him, "I'm sorry. I know I've messed things up for you, and I really am sorry. And I'm sorry that you've been suffering for so long...You don't deserve to suffer; you were trying to do something right...I don't know if you'll agree with me, but in my opinion, I think your father is lying."

Zuko's fist twitched.

"I doubt he'll take you back if you have the Avatar.

Zuko was getting irritated.

"If your father really loved you, then he would've forgiven you."

"No. You don't understand; I know he loves me."

"Zuko, I know its hard to cope with, but I'm telling you this because I care about you; I don't want to see you get hurt." She placed her hands over Zuko's fist, "I think you should try to make a life for yourself, try to make your own future, instead of bending over backwards for your father."

"The only life I want is one with my honor and throne."

"But that doesn't mean you have to risk the life of a young boy! You can regain your honor in another way. Maybe do something great for your nation or- "

"This is the only way I can regain my honor. And whatever my father orders, I have to comply."

Maeli could almost rip her hair out; there seemed to be some serious problems in the prince's family. Maeli wrapped her arms around Zuko's torso and placed her ear on his chest, "I wish I could take all of your troubles away. I wish I could rewrite history so you wouldn't have to go through all of this."

Zuko, who's a bit knocked for six to have a girl hug him affectionately, placed his arms around her too.

Maeli looked up at him, "Maybe you could ask the Avatar for help. He's a kind person, and I know he'll help if you just explain everything."

"...I don't know," Zuko sighed.

"You have to try at least! Capture him, but talk to him - tell him why you have to capture him and ask for his assistance." Zuko didn't respond. Maeli hesitated to say her next sentence, "Or maybe...you can overthrow your father."

Zuko gripped the girl by her shoulders, "What? I could never do that!"

Maeli raised her hands a bit, "Its seems like the only logical solution! I think you could make the Fire Nation a better place!"

"...Uh..." For once, Zuko was speechless.

"I'm serious. I know you're not prejudice against the other nations; you could stop this idiotic war and regain the peace between everyone."

Zuko's hands fell to his side. He looked defeated, "How? How come you have so much confidence?...How can you be so concerned about someone like me?"

"Because I like you!" Maeli sighed and shook her head disappointingly. "Damn, Zuko, what other reason do you need? You need to have more self-esteem." She looked up at him, "There are people who care about you ya' know."

"I guess..."

"Your eyes are so lovely - I wish I had your eye color."

"Don't be stupid. Your eyes are fine just the way they are." Zuko looked away.

"He's shy," Maeli giggled in her mind. "Ya' know...I really like you...even more than a friend."

Now Zuko was even more taken aback. This girl actually had intimate feelings for him. What was the world coming to? Zuko couldn't believe that this would happen!

Maeli reached her head up and kissed him. It was such a gentle kiss, that Zuko could feel himself about to flush. Maeli smiled when she saw his expression, "Are you alright?" Zuko didn't answer. He placed one hand around the girl's waist, and the other on the back of her head; he pulled her into another kiss. When their lips finally parted, Zuko said softly, "I really like you too...a lot."

"I'm glad," Maeli smiled. "Care to join me for breakfast?"

Zuko shook his head, "I'm not hungry."

"Prince Zuko! You're needed in the conference room!" the houndsman informed from his post.

Zuko groaned irritably, "Alright!...I'll be back, Maeli."

"'Kay, I'll probably be in my room."

Zuko caressed her cheek and went to the conference room. Maeli clenched her locket as she watched him leave. When she was on her way to the galley, she didn't notice Iroh sniggering in a dark corner.

**End of chapter 5!**

**Ha ha ha! Iroh was spying on them! Getting all kissy kissy. Ha ha ha! 'Tis funny...NOW LAUGH DAMMIT, LAUGH! Okay, I'll stop being stoopid.**


End file.
